An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A branch of astrophysics that deals with objects emitting highly energetic radiation, such as X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, and extreme ultraviolet astronomy, as well as neutrinos and cosmic rays.

→ high; → energy; → astrophysics.

Cosmic rays which typically have energies in the range 10¹⁵ to 10²⁰ electron volts. For the most part, they are protons and other atomic nuclei, and come from distant cosmos, perhaps even from outside our own Galaxy.

→ high; → energy; → cosmic; → ray.

A neutrino produced in high-energy particle collisions, such as those occurring when → cosmic rays strike atoms in the Earth's → atmosphere. Their energy range expands from a few → MeVs up to tenths of a → peta- (P) → electron-volts.

→ high; → energy; → neutrino.

A particle belonging to the most energetic population of → cosmic rays with an energy above ~ 10²⁰ → electron-volts. The UHECRs constitute a real challenge for theoretical models, because their acceleration requires extreme conditions hardly fulfilled by known astrophysical objects. See also → UHECR puzzle, → Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff.

→ ultra- + → high-energy cosmic ray.

A neutrino particle accelerated to energies above 10¹⁸ → electron-volts. They are produced by the interaction of → ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR)s with the → cosmic microwave background radiation. Also called → cosmogenic neutrinos. See also → Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin limit.

→ ultra-; → high; → energy; → neutrino.